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| Sheri |
Tabby |
Since April 2000, I have been helping people with Poser 4, first with tutorials, then with downloads, and now, with editorial articles. When I recoded the site in November, 2002, I considered writing a new, long-winded introduction welcoming people to the site, then I decided to just move the links closer to the top of the page.
As you go through these tutorial pages, keep in mind that they are meant to be used as you are working with Poser (or Photoshop or Lightwave). Unlike some other tutorial sites (where you have to keep clicking a "Next" button to see the next step or a "Previous" button to go back), each one of my tutorials is on its own page. The pages may seem "text-heavy" at first, but I have designed the pages to be a step-by-step "how-to" instead of a "follow these steps and look what you can get." In fact, you could print the page and use it as you would use a reference book- having it beside you while working in the programs.
All the information on this website is completely free to use as you wish, but please give me credit whenever possible. Also, if you start to create your own textures, objects, or projects, please share your ideas with everyone else- after all, that's what the Internet is all about! Feel free to improvise your own changes. And, if you can make it better, please let me know!
All of the tutorials will work in Poser 5 and above, unless noted otherwise.
All of the pages are organized into categories:
• General: general information.
• Beginner: tutorials for beginners or anyone looking to brush up on their skills.
• Intermediate: these tutorials require a basic knowledge and understanding of Poser.
• Advanced: these tutorials require a more advanced understanding of Poser, and in some cases, additional software programs.
• Vue d`Esprit: tutorials for Vue d`Esprit.
• DAZ Studio: tutorials for DAZ Studio.
Throughout this website, I will be using characters (of my own creation) to help illustrate the tutorials:
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| Sheri |
Tabby |
| General | Beginner |
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• General Tips & Information
Here are a number of tips, tricks, and other things I've found while using Poser. Some of the tips may seem basic, but hopefully, everyone will learn a little something. • Terms & Definitions A list of commonly-used terms and definitions, now on their own page! • My Review of Vicky From an early use (with Poser 4 and Windows 98) to later (using Poser 4 and Windows XP Pro). • Compositing Images Put your Poser characters into new settings- your own photographs! • Creating the Best-Looking Renders Some tips on how to make the best-looking renders, using only Poser and no post-work. • Give Your Characters Life (Creating the Best-Looking Renders, part 2) Part 2 on how to make the best-looking renders- tips on how to give your characters a little more life. • Making Realistic Poser Images Using Reflection Maps How to use Poser's reflect node and an environment map to create realistic metallic surfaces. • Links and Recommended Sites • Tips, Tricks, and Hints for the MAT Pose Creator The reference page for the MAT Pose Creator program. • Extracting and Organizing Poser Zip Files A tutorial on how to better organize files from the beginning: when you first extract them from the zip file. • Editorial Article 1: Using Poser for Artwork Starting a series of editorial articles, here are my thoughts on using Poser for creating artwork. • Editorial Article 2: The Poser 5 Mess (October 2002) What went wrong with the deployment of Poser 5? My thoughts and experiences and additional information. • Editorial Article 3: My Review of Poser 6 (April 4, 2005) Conclusions: still a few minor glitches, but otherwise, an excellent program right out of the box... no service packs needed! • Editorial Article 4: Poser and Photography A comparison of Poser to photography and why 3D 'purists' shouldn't look down on artists who use Poser. • Editorial Article 5: My Review of Poser 7 (December 13, 2006) Conclusions: some excellent new features (including multiple undo), but not a significant improvement over Poser 6. • Upcoming and Current Projects Projects I am working on and works-in-progress. • A History of Computer Animation in the Movies A brief history of landmark movies which used computer images or animation. • Where to Find Stuff A overview of where to find both Poser-related things and related software. • Goodies Page The page for recent and cool free items to download. • Goodies Archive Page The page for older free items to download, including poses for older figures and free add-ons for inactive and older products. • Marketplace Page The page for products that are available for purchase. • Marketplace Archive Page The page for older products which were sold to Renderosity in November 2009. • Accomplishments and Gallery Appearances A listing some of my accomplishments and gallery appearances. This list can also be found at Vanishing Point (opens in new window). • Image Gallery My image gallery, containing images of Tabby, humorous images, and more. • Ideas and Inspirations Where do I get my ideas for models, images, artwork, and products? Check out this page of DVD's, books, toys, and other fun stuff. • What's New A list of what's been updated and when. |
• Using Transparency Maps
How to "cut" objects: turn the default leotard into a higher-cut "workout" outfit. • Adjusting Texture Maps Create make-up and highlights on the P4 Female and "scars" on the P4 Male. • How to Make Reflections in Poser 5 (and above) Create a mirrored surface. Note: Yes, Poser 5 (and above) *can* perform ray-traced reflections. • Using Morph Targets Create your own distinct characters using the built-in parameter dials. • Adding Outfits to the Library Sure you can add individual pieces of clothing to the Library, but what about a complete outfit of many pieces of clothing? |
| Intermediate | Advanced |
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• Using Multiple Transparency Maps to Create an Outfit
Sheri tries to get a job as a Hooters waitress. (Note: Hooters™ is a trademark of Hooters of America Restaurants.) • Animation Make the floating kick scene from The Matrix. • Creating your own Props 2: Remove Geometry Information From the pp2 File How to remove the geometry from the pp2 file and add a reference to the obj file. • Creating Images with Motion-Blur in Poser 5 (and above) Create images with a sense of motion, using motion blur and Poser 5 (and above). • Making MAT Poses (Quick Method) Create MAT poses quickly and easily, using only Poser and a text editor. • From Poser Pro to Sketchfab: Interactive Models on Your Website. Shows how to export a model from PoserPro (in Collada format), convert it to Sketchfab, and get a link to add it to your website. • How to Manually Delete Body Parts. Shows how to remove extra body parts from your cr2 (figure) file to make the file more efficient and reduce the file size. |
• Make a Basic Refrigerator Prop, Page 1: Building the Object
Make a basic refrigerator prop (with opening and closing doors!). Page 1: How to build the object. • Make a Basic Refrigerator Prop, Page 2: Exporting and Importing Page 2: How to export the object from Lightwave, UV map it, and import it into Poser. • Make a Basic Refrigerator Prop, Page 3: Texturing and Combining the Objects Page 3: Apply textures and combine the three parts into one Poser prop. • Make a Refrigerator Figure, Page 1: Building the Object Make a basic refrigerator prop (with opening and closing doors!). Page 1: How to build the object. • Make a Refrigerator Figure, Page 2: Exporting and Importing Page 2: How to export the object from Lightwave, UV map it, import it into Poser, and convert it to a figure file. • Make a Refrigerator Figure, Page 3: ERC Dials Page 3: Create body dials to control the opening and closing of the doors (also known as ERC). • Make an Aircraft Flap Rotate Properly A tutorial on how to adjust the joint parameters to get an angled part (such as an aircraft flap) to rotate properly. |
| Vue d'Esprit | DAZ Studio |
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• Render an HDRI Scene in Vue d'Esprit with Poser Models
Shows how to export a model from Poser and render it in Vue d'Esprit using Vue's HDRI lighting setup. |
• How to Install DAZ Studio Content
Something a little different from the usual Poser tutorials: how to install content into DAZ Studio. • DAZ Studio: Fix Part Warping. How to get Poser content into DAZ Studio and fix part warping. • Make 360 Degree Images in DAZ Studio. How to render a 360 degree image in DAZ Studio for use on Facebook |
• Any version of Poser above version 5, which can be purchased from Renderosity.
• To follow the DAZ Studio tutorials, you will need DAZ Studio, which can be downloaded for free from the DAZ3D website.
• To extract .zip files, you will need WinZip.
• For the creation of texture and transparency maps, you will need a layers-capable image-editing program such as Adobe Photoshop or Jasc Paint Shop Pro.
(The tutorials use Photoshop because that's the program I am more familiar with- feel free to e-mail me the Paint Shop Pro "translation".)
• To create texture maps, you'll need UV Mapper (by Steven L. Cox), which can be downloaded (for free) directly from his site: UV Mapper.com (opens in new window).
• A text editor to edit cr2, obj, and other files: I recommend Notepad++.
• To create "phi files" (for Poser figure files), you'll need PHI Builder (by Roy Riggs), which can be downloaded (for free) directly from his site: Roy's Max-Poser Tutorials (opens in new window; then scroll down the page).
• To view any of the finished movies, you will need a movie player capable of handling .avi files. Media Player for Windows and the QuickTime Movie Player for Macintosh should do the job. (Both of these programs are included with the operating system, so you should not need to download them again.)
• To follow the tutorial on creating your own 3-D objects, you will need a 3-D application capable of exporting files in the ".obj" format.
And a special thanks should go to: Ghost Effects, Fractal Design, MetaCreations, Curious Labs, and e-frontier (for their development of the earlier versions of Poser), Zygote Inc. and DAZ Studios (for their work on the advanced Poser models), and, of course, Smith Micro (the current owners and developers of Poser).
For more free items, models, tutorials, and discussion forums, check out Vanishing Point:
| Comments, questions, concerns? Feel free to send an e-mail: John Hoagland |
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Legal-type notes: The images found on the website are NOT real people, nor are they even based on photographs of real people- they are completely computer-generated. All characters, textures, etc. are based on my own imagination and any resemblance to living or dead persons is strictly coincidental (unless otherwise noted). All information found on this site is copyrighted by me (unless noted by their respective copyrights/ trademarks). You are free to print the information or save it to your hard drive for your own use, but reproduction is strictly forbidden without express permission. Any designs or information contributed to this website will be credited to the original author whenever possible.